Not sure if anyone would be actually interested in this but I wanted to write it down while it was fresh in my mind. If I ever look back and think it wasn't so bad I can re-read and remember.
I also hope that someone might think of this story if they ever decide to risk drinking and driving or for that matter do anything else as stupid while drinking.
Tuesday, February 27.
I reported to Rock County Jail at 9:00am as ordered and pressed the buzzer on the metal door marked "Prisoner Intake". After I identified myself the door opened and I was greeted inside by a Corrections Officer who led me to the processing area. The CO frisked me, checked my ID and logged me in at the front desk. From there I was escorted to a small room and told to change from my regular clothes into an orange jump suit and a pair of canvas shoes (nothing else). From there I was transferred to a holding cell holding two other new inmates. The holding cell was about 14' x 8' and contained a metal bench and a toilet bowl. The cell wall facing the desk sergeant was brick on the bottom half and glass on the top half. The door was solid metal. We could see out, they could see in. All we had to do was sit and wait. .
The three of us sat on the bench, none of us talked. We stayed in this cell for over an hour. Looking out we could see what was going in some of the other holding cells. In one cell sat a woman who did not look too good. The sign on her door simply said "Suicide Watch / Detox". Another cell contained three prisoners who were waiting to be transported to District Court. These three were eventually taken out one at a time shackled from the waist to their hands and ankles and led outside. The other cell we could see another male prisoner. This guy had obviously been through the system before. he was brought in wearing shackles and leg irons. He was on first name terms with more than one of the CO's that were one duty.
Our next steps in the processing was going to be photo, fingerprints a medical exam and a TB booster shot. I had started to grow a beard over the past two weeks before coming and I was ordered to shave before my photograph was taken. I was handed a single blade bic razor, prison issue shaving foam and pointed to a cold water sink. I'll tell you my eyes were watering while I shaved that crap off my face.
After processing we were marched through what seemed like a maze of passage ways to "G" block where we were going to be staying. "G" block was a large open square room with two rows of 18 cells which went around two levels. The top level had a balcony that looked down onto the floor below. On the floor to the left of the main door was a desk manned by two CO's . To the right of the door were the showers. These were open but had plastic curtains, solid on the bottom and clear on the top. Moving down the room from the main door it laid out in this way. Two rows of 3 metal tables with attached metal seats, a ping pong table, one more row of 3 metal tables and then a TV hung from a large stand with 12 chairs set up like a horse shoe in front of it.
We were led to a supply room in the far corner and issued: Two pair of pants, two T-shirts, one towel and a pair of sneakers with velcro fasteners. None of these were new. The worst part followed (this is really gross) I was handed a box and told to pick out 2 pair of underwear. These also were "second hand". We also received two sheets and one pillow. The CO then took us to our assigned cells. I found out I was sharing this cell with one of the other two new inmates. I lost "rock, paper, scissors" and got the top bunk. The bunks were metal with a 2" foam mattress. Also inside our 12" x 6" cell was a small metal table. One small metal chair and a metal toilet. It was around 11:00am and the door closed. We both made our bunks and laid down. This sucks.
Around noon our door opened and one of the other inmates, a trustee I guess brought us some food which resembled American Chop Suey, we also got milk and a fig newton to go with it. All the time this was going on the other inmates were out of their cells free to roam the common area. We asked when we could get out of the cell and was promptly told that all new inmates had 23 hour lock down for the first three days of sentence. This really sucks.
We had no books, cards or any other way of entertaining ourselves. We had a small window in the door which was about 4" wide x 24" high. I could see, but not hear the TV from our cell. I thought it was funny at 4pm when around 15 inmates sat down and started to watch the Tyra Banks Show. At 5pm our door opened again and we were handed a plastic plate which held a sandwich, tater tots a small carton of milk and what looked like a hockey puck. The sandwich tasted a bit like chicken and the hockey puck reminded me of a chocolate brownie. Man, this sucks ass. I remember it turning 8pm and around 20 "outsiders" sat down to watch American Idol. I still couldn't hear what was going on.
The night dragged on. I dozed off and on until lock down at 10pm. The banging of the doors and the yelling from my neighbors kept me entertained until lights out at midnight. This still sucked.
The longest night of my entire life ended at 7am. Our door opened again and we were handed a plastic plate which held cheerios and a strange yellow rectangle block. After prodding the yellow block with my "spork" for a while I determined this to be some variation of scrambled eggs. I ate this before I put the milk on my cereal.
At 7:45 our door opened and we were allowed out for a full hour. We showered walked around the room and grabbed a book each from a shelf we found. I was lucky to find a copy of a National Geographic dated 1981. I shit you not. The main story was how NYC was turning around from being a crime infested city into THE place to live. My cell mate picked up a NG dated 1992. The main story in this edition was how cars of the future would have Satellite Navigation systems. Again, I shit you not. At 9:45 we went back to our cells for another soul destroying day of boredom and learning how to lip read the Tyra Banks show. At night it was the guys turn to sing on American Idol.
I won't bore you with the details of Thursday. The highlight of the day was been able to get out and about for an hour from 7:45 until 8:45. Lunch was two hot dogs on frozen rolls a bag of potato chips and a small tub of Ice Cream. Dinner was a fried grey thing with pasta which I later found out was veal parmesan and of course the obligatory fig newton was there. I was looking forward to see if I could figure out who was going to booted off American Idol tonight.
After lights out me and my cell mate were so excited that we would be finally allowed to join the general population tomorrow morning and seven days left to serve.
That's when the real fun started
Mike
I also hope that someone might think of this story if they ever decide to risk drinking and driving or for that matter do anything else as stupid while drinking.
Tuesday, February 27.
I reported to Rock County Jail at 9:00am as ordered and pressed the buzzer on the metal door marked "Prisoner Intake". After I identified myself the door opened and I was greeted inside by a Corrections Officer who led me to the processing area. The CO frisked me, checked my ID and logged me in at the front desk. From there I was escorted to a small room and told to change from my regular clothes into an orange jump suit and a pair of canvas shoes (nothing else). From there I was transferred to a holding cell holding two other new inmates. The holding cell was about 14' x 8' and contained a metal bench and a toilet bowl. The cell wall facing the desk sergeant was brick on the bottom half and glass on the top half. The door was solid metal. We could see out, they could see in. All we had to do was sit and wait. .
The three of us sat on the bench, none of us talked. We stayed in this cell for over an hour. Looking out we could see what was going in some of the other holding cells. In one cell sat a woman who did not look too good. The sign on her door simply said "Suicide Watch / Detox". Another cell contained three prisoners who were waiting to be transported to District Court. These three were eventually taken out one at a time shackled from the waist to their hands and ankles and led outside. The other cell we could see another male prisoner. This guy had obviously been through the system before. he was brought in wearing shackles and leg irons. He was on first name terms with more than one of the CO's that were one duty.
Our next steps in the processing was going to be photo, fingerprints a medical exam and a TB booster shot. I had started to grow a beard over the past two weeks before coming and I was ordered to shave before my photograph was taken. I was handed a single blade bic razor, prison issue shaving foam and pointed to a cold water sink. I'll tell you my eyes were watering while I shaved that crap off my face.
After processing we were marched through what seemed like a maze of passage ways to "G" block where we were going to be staying. "G" block was a large open square room with two rows of 18 cells which went around two levels. The top level had a balcony that looked down onto the floor below. On the floor to the left of the main door was a desk manned by two CO's . To the right of the door were the showers. These were open but had plastic curtains, solid on the bottom and clear on the top. Moving down the room from the main door it laid out in this way. Two rows of 3 metal tables with attached metal seats, a ping pong table, one more row of 3 metal tables and then a TV hung from a large stand with 12 chairs set up like a horse shoe in front of it.
We were led to a supply room in the far corner and issued: Two pair of pants, two T-shirts, one towel and a pair of sneakers with velcro fasteners. None of these were new. The worst part followed (this is really gross) I was handed a box and told to pick out 2 pair of underwear. These also were "second hand". We also received two sheets and one pillow. The CO then took us to our assigned cells. I found out I was sharing this cell with one of the other two new inmates. I lost "rock, paper, scissors" and got the top bunk. The bunks were metal with a 2" foam mattress. Also inside our 12" x 6" cell was a small metal table. One small metal chair and a metal toilet. It was around 11:00am and the door closed. We both made our bunks and laid down. This sucks.
Around noon our door opened and one of the other inmates, a trustee I guess brought us some food which resembled American Chop Suey, we also got milk and a fig newton to go with it. All the time this was going on the other inmates were out of their cells free to roam the common area. We asked when we could get out of the cell and was promptly told that all new inmates had 23 hour lock down for the first three days of sentence. This really sucks.
We had no books, cards or any other way of entertaining ourselves. We had a small window in the door which was about 4" wide x 24" high. I could see, but not hear the TV from our cell. I thought it was funny at 4pm when around 15 inmates sat down and started to watch the Tyra Banks Show. At 5pm our door opened again and we were handed a plastic plate which held a sandwich, tater tots a small carton of milk and what looked like a hockey puck. The sandwich tasted a bit like chicken and the hockey puck reminded me of a chocolate brownie. Man, this sucks ass. I remember it turning 8pm and around 20 "outsiders" sat down to watch American Idol. I still couldn't hear what was going on.
The night dragged on. I dozed off and on until lock down at 10pm. The banging of the doors and the yelling from my neighbors kept me entertained until lights out at midnight. This still sucked.
The longest night of my entire life ended at 7am. Our door opened again and we were handed a plastic plate which held cheerios and a strange yellow rectangle block. After prodding the yellow block with my "spork" for a while I determined this to be some variation of scrambled eggs. I ate this before I put the milk on my cereal.
At 7:45 our door opened and we were allowed out for a full hour. We showered walked around the room and grabbed a book each from a shelf we found. I was lucky to find a copy of a National Geographic dated 1981. I shit you not. The main story was how NYC was turning around from being a crime infested city into THE place to live. My cell mate picked up a NG dated 1992. The main story in this edition was how cars of the future would have Satellite Navigation systems. Again, I shit you not. At 9:45 we went back to our cells for another soul destroying day of boredom and learning how to lip read the Tyra Banks show. At night it was the guys turn to sing on American Idol.
I won't bore you with the details of Thursday. The highlight of the day was been able to get out and about for an hour from 7:45 until 8:45. Lunch was two hot dogs on frozen rolls a bag of potato chips and a small tub of Ice Cream. Dinner was a fried grey thing with pasta which I later found out was veal parmesan and of course the obligatory fig newton was there. I was looking forward to see if I could figure out who was going to booted off American Idol tonight.
After lights out me and my cell mate were so excited that we would be finally allowed to join the general population tomorrow morning and seven days left to serve.
That's when the real fun started
Mike
?We are one another's angels? 
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